I got one more full day of work before the Christmas break, and it was an actual music teacher job! But in the call, it just said Elementary Release Teacher. What this means is that this teacher teaches the subjects the other teachers don't want to, so they can get their required amount of prep in. It's usually gym, music, art, dance, drama, but sometimes it can be science or social studies! You never know what you'll get on these days. After accepting the call, I looked up the website and found out he actually teaches music (and science...but I was hopeful it would be a music day).
I got there, a fairly close school and found my workroom that is shared with other "prep" teachers. The plans looked good. Basically, I'd be teaching the kids to use small glockenspiels all day!! A lot of running around, and this is a confusing school, but it should be fun!
And it mostly was! I got to the first class and chatted with the teacher who was also a supply teacher. Somehow I mentioned the crazy kindie day and she said she was there that day too, as a kindie supply! And totally agreed it was crazy.
I did have one class, about grade 4 or 5 that was a little "pusing the boundaries". Their class was on the stage and it meant they had places they could hide or goof off.
It was a lot of fun, though by the end of the day, I was tired and had a headache!
For some reason Blogger won't let me add a photo today. I was going to add a picture of the Sonora glockenspiels. They're pretty neat.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Music Teacher?
I got a call for another afternoon at the high school far to the east. Why do they keep sending me there? There's 4 high schools right in my town! The job said Instrumental Music, but the special notes said Period 3 in P1, Civics and Careers; P4 is prep.
I get there, and sure enough, I get assigned an "on call". The details weren't great. There was a folder with attendance and what the two different classes were to do. There was also a folder saying "Study Hall" and pictures of all the kids, but no instructions on what to do.
The Civics/Careers class was fine. They were working on a simple poem about who they are. Then back inside to go babysit kids in the cafeteria. A boys fitness (phys ed) class and a math class. None of the boys worked on the assignment. One kid said he just won't do it, it doesn't care about the 5% it affects his final mark. One other kid says he'll use the same project he turned in last year for the course.
Throughout the last half of the period boys were asking to go to their locker or washroom. I noticed after awhile they didn't seem to be coming back. By 30 minutes before the bell, there was only a couple of the boys left. Whatever. It was almost Christmas break.
Another day of feeling like my degree was a waste! But still, pretty easy money for a 1/2 day work.
I get there, and sure enough, I get assigned an "on call". The details weren't great. There was a folder with attendance and what the two different classes were to do. There was also a folder saying "Study Hall" and pictures of all the kids, but no instructions on what to do.
The Civics/Careers class was fine. They were working on a simple poem about who they are. Then back inside to go babysit kids in the cafeteria. A boys fitness (phys ed) class and a math class. None of the boys worked on the assignment. One kid said he just won't do it, it doesn't care about the 5% it affects his final mark. One other kid says he'll use the same project he turned in last year for the course.
Throughout the last half of the period boys were asking to go to their locker or washroom. I noticed after awhile they didn't seem to be coming back. By 30 minutes before the bell, there was only a couple of the boys left. Whatever. It was almost Christmas break.
Another day of feeling like my degree was a waste! But still, pretty easy money for a 1/2 day work.
Music Teacher
I was pretty tired after two days in a row of full day kindie jobs. How do the kids do it? How do the teachers do it? But I grabbed a primary music job for the next morning because 1) it's music 2) it's primary and 3) it was nearby at a school I really enjoyed earlier in the year.
I got there, and my "classroom" is essentially the back part of the stage. I'd read about this sort of thing in the elementary music teacher group on Facebook. The plans said everything was in the cupboard. The cupboard was locked. There was evidence (and I checked their website) that they had their primary concert the night before.
I went back to the office and there was a teacher there---Megan's kindie teacher! I knew she was at this school. I mention the connection but I doubt she remembers Megan, she's been a teacher a very long time. She led me back and unlocked the cupboard with all the materials. MusicPlay CDs and we'd be singing along, basically. More kindie classes! I'm going to forget how to talk to older students LOL.
I had to do the first class in their room because the stage doors panels hadn't been closed yet. It was fun learning the songs with them, and it was a good class for it. The next few classes I had to go and get them and take them to the stage. Most of the classes were great! There was one class...many kids were absent (I think it was 9!) but the ones that were left were quite a handful! Not too interested in following instructions! We got through it though.
One of the kindie teachers looked very, very pregnant. This was almost the middle of December. A month later her maternity leave LTO was posted in the jobs. I don't understand why they leave posting a maternity leaver LTO until the last minute. It'll post on a Monday, close on Wed, and start on Friday. I was once told that they can't hire the replacement until the leave has started, so that's why there's a delay. But can't they have the replacement lined up before then? They could be coming in and getting to know everyone...
I got there, and my "classroom" is essentially the back part of the stage. I'd read about this sort of thing in the elementary music teacher group on Facebook. The plans said everything was in the cupboard. The cupboard was locked. There was evidence (and I checked their website) that they had their primary concert the night before.
I went back to the office and there was a teacher there---Megan's kindie teacher! I knew she was at this school. I mention the connection but I doubt she remembers Megan, she's been a teacher a very long time. She led me back and unlocked the cupboard with all the materials. MusicPlay CDs and we'd be singing along, basically. More kindie classes! I'm going to forget how to talk to older students LOL.
I had to do the first class in their room because the stage doors panels hadn't been closed yet. It was fun learning the songs with them, and it was a good class for it. The next few classes I had to go and get them and take them to the stage. Most of the classes were great! There was one class...many kids were absent (I think it was 9!) but the ones that were left were quite a handful! Not too interested in following instructions! We got through it though.
One of the kindie teachers looked very, very pregnant. This was almost the middle of December. A month later her maternity leave LTO was posted in the jobs. I don't understand why they leave posting a maternity leaver LTO until the last minute. It'll post on a Monday, close on Wed, and start on Friday. I was once told that they can't hire the replacement until the leave has started, so that's why there's a delay. But can't they have the replacement lined up before then? They could be coming in and getting to know everyone...
Second Chance Kindies
As mentioned yesterday, I pre-arranged to come in for a kindie class that I covered earlier in the school year. A full day. I was pretty worried. The one afternoon had been very draining, how would a whole day go?
The regular ECE was there. That helped immensely. So much so, that I think they shouldn't be allowed to have both out on the same time. And that every class in a school should have another adult in the class. This time, the day went pretty smoothly. I got to know the kids a bit better and get back stories on some of them. There were still some challenges typical to kindergarten but I didn't come home feeling like I'd survived a tornado. I felt maybe things were getting good again, and perhaps primary is where I belonged. People are often amazed that I do primary and high school (and intermediate, which was 7-8 when I took the program but now seems to include 7-9 or even 7-10). I rarely have had a good day with grades 5-6 and even 7-8 can be hit or miss. I was planning to do my Junior ABQ this summer (4-6) but I don't ever want to made to teach 5-6 just because I have the qualification. Right now, I can hit "Not Qualified" on the job calls and I'm not permanent so a principal can't assign me a junior class (if I were permanent---the principal can shuffle teachers around to keep them fresh, provide continuity, or just cause they want you to deep clean your room by moving to another room....okay, maybe that's not a valid reason but I've seen cases where that's what it seemed like!).
The regular ECE was there. That helped immensely. So much so, that I think they shouldn't be allowed to have both out on the same time. And that every class in a school should have another adult in the class. This time, the day went pretty smoothly. I got to know the kids a bit better and get back stories on some of them. There were still some challenges typical to kindergarten but I didn't come home feeling like I'd survived a tornado. I felt maybe things were getting good again, and perhaps primary is where I belonged. People are often amazed that I do primary and high school (and intermediate, which was 7-8 when I took the program but now seems to include 7-9 or even 7-10). I rarely have had a good day with grades 5-6 and even 7-8 can be hit or miss. I was planning to do my Junior ABQ this summer (4-6) but I don't ever want to made to teach 5-6 just because I have the qualification. Right now, I can hit "Not Qualified" on the job calls and I'm not permanent so a principal can't assign me a junior class (if I were permanent---the principal can shuffle teachers around to keep them fresh, provide continuity, or just cause they want you to deep clean your room by moving to another room....okay, maybe that's not a valid reason but I've seen cases where that's what it seemed like!).
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Kindies!!
I went on my road trip, but just prior to going, I was messaged by the kindie teacher from the class I had for the afternoon, with the supply ECE. She had asked if I'd like to come back on a regular basis, she had 3 days in December that needed someone. I said I wasn't sure about the first day because I thought I was getting home on the 11th and knew it could be late. I ended up booking the 13th for her. One day instead of three, but oh well. I really didn't even want to go back after the first time there!
But, the day before that I got another kindie job. Full day, fairly close. Early start school though! I got to watch the sunrise from the classroom.
I have to be there 30 minutes before the start time, so don't worry, the kids weren't coming in the dark.
I love this display on levels. Although, how often do they use this in kindie?
The ECE was nice, I encountered a lot of nice students in the halls too. I was told the school was a square, but it didn't seem like it when I was walking around. A teacher from my kids' school had moved here a couple years ago and I thought I might find him, but he wasn't on the same floor and I was hesitant to go to the lower floor since I kept getting "lost".
But, the day before that I got another kindie job. Full day, fairly close. Early start school though! I got to watch the sunrise from the classroom.
The ECE was nice, I encountered a lot of nice students in the halls too. I was told the school was a square, but it didn't seem like it when I was walking around. A teacher from my kids' school had moved here a couple years ago and I thought I might find him, but he wasn't on the same floor and I was hesitant to go to the lower floor since I kept getting "lost".
I had to work with a small group of kids focusing on initial letter sounds, using these flash cards. The others were simple. N for nest, B for ball. But what was this one?! Rob says "Intelligence". Someone suggested "e-e-e-e-e-" sound that the dolphin makes. Someone suggested "injured Ian" (cause the diver seems to be missing a foot). If anyone knows, let me know please!!
I love these days that nothing really stands out!
And This is Why I Avoid This Area.
I do like to give schools the benefit of the doubt, especially if offered a primary job. The next half day job was a school in an area I try to avoid. Being in moms groups and just watching the news, I know there are issues. Usually though primary grades are okay. I hadn't worked much in the week prior, and I was leaving the next night for a road trip, so I really wanted the job (actually, I wanted the money from the job LOL). I did turn down a couple calls first. One or two of them were for Phys Ed. No thanks. I know there is often a co-op, student, or co- teacher but I'm not risking it.
I head over to the school. It's a windy day and because I'm not fond of the 401, this took me awhile to get there. I followed another OT into the school, commenting on how we're doing the Supply Teacher Shuffle--looking down at our phones to remind ourselves of the teacher we're in for. I am very familiar with the school layout from other schools, but it's still so weird seeing it with different people, things, culture. The kids in the office seemed nice. I asked them how they liked the school and they replied that they like it a lot better this year because of a new VP/P staff that actually lets them do events instead of automatically saying no.
I got to the class and it's a 3/4 split but the 4's were only a few kids, maybe four or 6. They would be going off to do French with another class and I'd have the grade 3s for a few periods. I read the plans and they said to read the IEPs for a couple students and there were things noted to pay attention. One of the students seemed like they had a lot of issues and I started getting worried. The class came in, I did attendance...and that one student had been suspended! In grade 3! With Restorative Justice in schools, it takes a lot to actually get suspended. I can't imagine what happened in grade 3 to get him suspended.
First up was to be a "Number Talk" about 3x5=15. I didn't really know what a number talk was. The plans said to show 4 (I think) ways to show it. The allotted time (including attendance) was 25 minutes. How do you spend 25 minutes talking about 3x5? There didn't seem to be any actual work to go along with it. I think I fluffed about 10 minutes then encouraged them to do some other multiplication questions. I don't think anyone did. There was some talk about math and a few kids tried to stump me.
The other kids came back and they were working then on health posters. Cut and paste. It got a little messy but work was happening. There was another staff member present, but I don't know who they were. I'm thinking an EA.
And then the kicker. After recess was an hour of Phys Ed. No co-teacher, student teacher, or co-op student. And not much left in the plans. Luckily it takes time to get back inside from recess, and I made them clean up their messes from snack time, so that killed some time. I've been in some schools, especially ones with a full time phys ed teacher, that run a very structured program. There didn't seem to be that here. I looked up the game suggestions and we played them. I noticed two boys were having a difference of opinions on whether one was "out". That other staff member was there, and a woman appeared, who also seemed to be an EA. I thought we got it worked out but right before leaving the gym to get back upstairs, one of those two students started having a meltdown. The woman was talking with him so I stepped back and focused on the class dismissal.
By the time the class was getting their things together, this kid was off the wall. I could hear him above all the dismissal noise in the hall. Then he came in the classroom, swearing "F*$k this" and F that, shoving chairs across the room, throwing a few things off the desks. The EA was shadowing him and not saying much, but letting her presence be known. I continued with my end of day duties.
As I was leaving the school I came across her in the hall. She thanked me, and I thanked her! I told her I mentioned it in the note for the teacher, but I wasn't sure what it had been about. She filled me in a little and I felt better that the school was on top of it (as far as I could tell). No one got hurt, and I get to go home and not think about it anymore.
I head over to the school. It's a windy day and because I'm not fond of the 401, this took me awhile to get there. I followed another OT into the school, commenting on how we're doing the Supply Teacher Shuffle--looking down at our phones to remind ourselves of the teacher we're in for. I am very familiar with the school layout from other schools, but it's still so weird seeing it with different people, things, culture. The kids in the office seemed nice. I asked them how they liked the school and they replied that they like it a lot better this year because of a new VP/P staff that actually lets them do events instead of automatically saying no.
I got to the class and it's a 3/4 split but the 4's were only a few kids, maybe four or 6. They would be going off to do French with another class and I'd have the grade 3s for a few periods. I read the plans and they said to read the IEPs for a couple students and there were things noted to pay attention. One of the students seemed like they had a lot of issues and I started getting worried. The class came in, I did attendance...and that one student had been suspended! In grade 3! With Restorative Justice in schools, it takes a lot to actually get suspended. I can't imagine what happened in grade 3 to get him suspended.
First up was to be a "Number Talk" about 3x5=15. I didn't really know what a number talk was. The plans said to show 4 (I think) ways to show it. The allotted time (including attendance) was 25 minutes. How do you spend 25 minutes talking about 3x5? There didn't seem to be any actual work to go along with it. I think I fluffed about 10 minutes then encouraged them to do some other multiplication questions. I don't think anyone did. There was some talk about math and a few kids tried to stump me.
The other kids came back and they were working then on health posters. Cut and paste. It got a little messy but work was happening. There was another staff member present, but I don't know who they were. I'm thinking an EA.
And then the kicker. After recess was an hour of Phys Ed. No co-teacher, student teacher, or co-op student. And not much left in the plans. Luckily it takes time to get back inside from recess, and I made them clean up their messes from snack time, so that killed some time. I've been in some schools, especially ones with a full time phys ed teacher, that run a very structured program. There didn't seem to be that here. I looked up the game suggestions and we played them. I noticed two boys were having a difference of opinions on whether one was "out". That other staff member was there, and a woman appeared, who also seemed to be an EA. I thought we got it worked out but right before leaving the gym to get back upstairs, one of those two students started having a meltdown. The woman was talking with him so I stepped back and focused on the class dismissal.
By the time the class was getting their things together, this kid was off the wall. I could hear him above all the dismissal noise in the hall. Then he came in the classroom, swearing "F*$k this" and F that, shoving chairs across the room, throwing a few things off the desks. The EA was shadowing him and not saying much, but letting her presence be known. I continued with my end of day duties.
As I was leaving the school I came across her in the hall. She thanked me, and I thanked her! I told her I mentioned it in the note for the teacher, but I wasn't sure what it had been about. She filled me in a little and I felt better that the school was on top of it (as far as I could tell). No one got hurt, and I get to go home and not think about it anymore.
Kindies
I've mentioned before that I love being in kindie classes, especially when the regular ECE is there. I got an afternoon call for a nearby school so I jumped on it. When I got there, the kids were inside watching probably, Paw Patrol because it was raining. There was a lunch supervisor and one or two older student monitors. The class was incredibly quiet. The monitors kept them in line and didn't allow any talking or other behaviours. Incredible!
I don't remember having to do much this afternoon. Two jobs in a row that went pretty smoothly? I did jump the gun a little on that, stay tuned for the next post. The worst thing that happened this day was the bulb in the projector was replaced and it got really smelly. I started to feel nauseous and so did some of the kids. No one threw up though, so that's good. I think the most interesting part of the day was that one student was named "Pharaoh". Haven't had that one yet!
I don't remember having to do much this afternoon. Two jobs in a row that went pretty smoothly? I did jump the gun a little on that, stay tuned for the next post. The worst thing that happened this day was the bulb in the projector was replaced and it got really smelly. I started to feel nauseous and so did some of the kids. No one threw up though, so that's good. I think the most interesting part of the day was that one student was named "Pharaoh". Haven't had that one yet!
Friday, February 22, 2019
Eating My Words
Remember the day where I was locked out of the portable 10 minutes before school started? The loud grade 3 kids who were messy and needy? And I'd never go back to that school?
Well, I got called for a music teacher there, another half day; morning. This time I left with plenty of time. I thought.
Got there, and got what appeared to be the last parking spot and there was still 25-30 minutes to go. I heard the secretary tell someone else that they have 45 spots and 60 staff.
Waited for the instructions. Found the workroom. It was locked. Walked back to the office (at least I was inside). The secretary was just like "Oh. It should be open. There's usually someone there. And the custodian's outside salting the sidewalks so you'll have to wait for someone with a key." Really? The custodian doesn't carry a walkie-talkie? There's no spare key in the office?
Finally after nearly 10 minutes, the VP comes out and says she'll take me down. She was the principal at my kids' school the last year it was opened. She gave me trouble for waiting on the pavement at lunch recess--I couldn't stay to visit with my kid and her friends. She made the kids start going to the bathroom with a buddy. There was less than 150 kids in the school. Why should 2 miss class time when they had been fine with just 1 before? I mentioned to her that I remembered her from that school and she wasn't very talkative. She was there just one year, I guess it didn't really mean much to her.
Got in the room, got my lesson plans, looks good. Upstairs for the first class, I dont' remember what it was about now. Then back down to a kindergarten room. Somehow, I took a wrong turn and did an entire loop of the square school before getting to the kindie room. And I forgot that I had wanted to stop at the workroom to pick up the materials for the kindie class. If I had made the correct turn, I would have passed the workroom. The kindie staff didn't look happy I was a few minutes late so I didn't even ask if I could run back (it was just a couple doors down!). I did have the iPod with the music, but I wasn't entirely sure what to do with the songs LOL. We did some marching activity, some loud and soft activity. I tried to keep them engaged with other ideas about loud and soft, and teaching them Italian so they could go home and impress their parents. Personally, I prefer loud and quiet. Soft to me (and many kids) means a texture or a gesture. I noticed a book on their bookshelf that mentioned drums, so I read that (except it wasn't all that great for a kindie class). Finally, the class was over.
I had outside recess duty and it was so cold and windy! There's 12 portables and I had a class in one of the portables. I think they were pretty good. Though I did have some class somewhere (other than that really hot day at the school that had the lock down drill, where I had the horrible class in the portable). Oh, I remember. They weren't awesome, but it wasn't too too bad. We listened to an Aboriginal artist and they had a sheet to fill out about him. Many kids were not interested though. Hard to get them engaged when I didn't really know anything about it. One kid was very enthusiastic about the song/music. He had even watched the video for the song on YouTube after their last class when they first heard it.
As I was packing up, that boy stopped by the music office just as the music teacher was getting there. He was so happy! I let the teacher know how it went, especially the kindie class, LOL. Said I'd love to be back. Although the morning wasn't "perfect" it was so much better than the first morning I was there. Now, if only the secretary could get a little more enthusiastic about her job...
Well, I got called for a music teacher there, another half day; morning. This time I left with plenty of time. I thought.
Got there, and got what appeared to be the last parking spot and there was still 25-30 minutes to go. I heard the secretary tell someone else that they have 45 spots and 60 staff.
Waited for the instructions. Found the workroom. It was locked. Walked back to the office (at least I was inside). The secretary was just like "Oh. It should be open. There's usually someone there. And the custodian's outside salting the sidewalks so you'll have to wait for someone with a key." Really? The custodian doesn't carry a walkie-talkie? There's no spare key in the office?
Finally after nearly 10 minutes, the VP comes out and says she'll take me down. She was the principal at my kids' school the last year it was opened. She gave me trouble for waiting on the pavement at lunch recess--I couldn't stay to visit with my kid and her friends. She made the kids start going to the bathroom with a buddy. There was less than 150 kids in the school. Why should 2 miss class time when they had been fine with just 1 before? I mentioned to her that I remembered her from that school and she wasn't very talkative. She was there just one year, I guess it didn't really mean much to her.
Got in the room, got my lesson plans, looks good. Upstairs for the first class, I dont' remember what it was about now. Then back down to a kindergarten room. Somehow, I took a wrong turn and did an entire loop of the square school before getting to the kindie room. And I forgot that I had wanted to stop at the workroom to pick up the materials for the kindie class. If I had made the correct turn, I would have passed the workroom. The kindie staff didn't look happy I was a few minutes late so I didn't even ask if I could run back (it was just a couple doors down!). I did have the iPod with the music, but I wasn't entirely sure what to do with the songs LOL. We did some marching activity, some loud and soft activity. I tried to keep them engaged with other ideas about loud and soft, and teaching them Italian so they could go home and impress their parents. Personally, I prefer loud and quiet. Soft to me (and many kids) means a texture or a gesture. I noticed a book on their bookshelf that mentioned drums, so I read that (except it wasn't all that great for a kindie class). Finally, the class was over.
I had outside recess duty and it was so cold and windy! There's 12 portables and I had a class in one of the portables. I think they were pretty good. Though I did have some class somewhere (other than that really hot day at the school that had the lock down drill, where I had the horrible class in the portable). Oh, I remember. They weren't awesome, but it wasn't too too bad. We listened to an Aboriginal artist and they had a sheet to fill out about him. Many kids were not interested though. Hard to get them engaged when I didn't really know anything about it. One kid was very enthusiastic about the song/music. He had even watched the video for the song on YouTube after their last class when they first heard it.
As I was packing up, that boy stopped by the music office just as the music teacher was getting there. He was so happy! I let the teacher know how it went, especially the kindie class, LOL. Said I'd love to be back. Although the morning wasn't "perfect" it was so much better than the first morning I was there. Now, if only the secretary could get a little more enthusiastic about her job...
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Back to High School
I got an afternoon call to the high school to the far east, where I did the tech design day. Sure! I needed to go to the craft store, and it's right down the street LOL. And, it was a geography job! Sweet.
I got there, read the plans. Showing a video and a question sheet to fill out at the same time. However....it said the video was cued up and there was nothing there. No computer. Nothing.
A sweet young man came in and introduced himself saying he has anxiety and doesn't like to talk in class and sits in the corner. So I was able to check him off on the attendence ahead of time.
Then the teacher comes in. A smartly dressed young man. I wished, once again, that I had gone the dress route. I was dressed nice, but could've gone for a dress. It was November though. He got the video all set up and I asked him about the kids.
He got a look on his face and hesitated. Oh boy. He said "Entitled asshole milleniums".
Ouch.
He added that I should be really strict because they've been rough on supplies. And if a kid is acting up to just get out of the room, just kick them out; don't even tell them to go to the office. The kids seemed to like him, maybe cause he's young. I had to keep getting after them to answer the questions and be quiet so they could hear the video. For the second class, I actually stopped the video at key points so they could write things down. Should have done that with the first class. The kids said he's going to yell at them the next day. I said, well...you knew the expectations and you chose to do the things that results in the teacher yelling at you and leaving boring work cause he can't trust you when there's a supply teacher.
Why don't kids get this?! Argh.
I got there, read the plans. Showing a video and a question sheet to fill out at the same time. However....it said the video was cued up and there was nothing there. No computer. Nothing.
A sweet young man came in and introduced himself saying he has anxiety and doesn't like to talk in class and sits in the corner. So I was able to check him off on the attendence ahead of time.
Then the teacher comes in. A smartly dressed young man. I wished, once again, that I had gone the dress route. I was dressed nice, but could've gone for a dress. It was November though. He got the video all set up and I asked him about the kids.
He got a look on his face and hesitated. Oh boy. He said "Entitled asshole milleniums".
Ouch.
He added that I should be really strict because they've been rough on supplies. And if a kid is acting up to just get out of the room, just kick them out; don't even tell them to go to the office. The kids seemed to like him, maybe cause he's young. I had to keep getting after them to answer the questions and be quiet so they could hear the video. For the second class, I actually stopped the video at key points so they could write things down. Should have done that with the first class. The kids said he's going to yell at them the next day. I said, well...you knew the expectations and you chose to do the things that results in the teacher yelling at you and leaving boring work cause he can't trust you when there's a supply teacher.
Why don't kids get this?! Argh.
Hugh Returns!
Thanksgiving was fast approaching and we stressed to Hugh that he needed to figure out how he was getting home for Thanksgiving. We offered to drive one way--preferred the way back. We recommended he try the TriColour Express. This is a chartered bus service run by Queen's students. It's $40Cdn for a one way ticket. It even makes its first campus pickup at West Campus, so despite living "in the boonies", Hugh can get on the bus first and be assured of a seat (they don't get reserved seats and tickets are sold up to an hour before departure and they don't oversell tickets but it's still nice to get on the first bus). The downside was that someone had to drive into Scarborough during rush hour on a Friday to pick him up. I didn't raise my hand for that job!
Hugh was so laid back about the whole going to university process. Maybe it was anxiety, maybe it's just him. We had to nudge him every.step.of.the.way. We were hoping that once he was there, he'd start taking initiative and figure these things out on his own. It was slow going, but he's doing it.
He got involved in Frosh Week (I think it's supposed to be called Orientation Week)
and joined the fencing team (what?!) and went and did archery.
He had shown great skill at archery at Culver Family Camp, but we'd never gotten another try. I just searched my blog and I never wrote about our camp experience? I just posted on Facebook? I got behind with posting about the family cruise and never did family camp? What?! Here's some photos, from 2014.
Onwards. Hugh finally got around to getting his bus ticket.
Rob and Lucy drove in to meet him. Rob wanted to leave very early and I was like...you don't need that much time. Lucy texts me to tell me he hadn't looked at the directions and missed the exit. Then there was no parking...and they had to figure out where the bus might come (it just says "bus terminal"). Meanwhile Hugh was texting me to tell me they were behind schedule. Eventually I get word that they're about to pull in the driveway and I set up my camera and get the dog to the front door.
And lets just say, Skippy didn't seem all that impressed his boy was back home. I recorded their reuniting, but really, it's so unimpressive that it's kind of impressive.
Hugh loves his puppy, and his puppy loves him. When we first got him, Hugh had a regular bed and often Skippy snuck up on it. Hugh's had a loft bed for a while, but once he moved out, we gave it to Megan. I mean...Hugh's 6'1". He couldn't even sit up in the loft bed. Neither can Megan though LOL. We thought Skippy would be back on the bed, but he wasn't. Hugh kept his door shut a lot.
We had a delicious Thanksgiving turkey thanks to Martha Stewart
Someone enjoyed a turkey wing.
And before we knew it, it was time to take Hugh back. Traffic was surprisingly slow, there and back.
Hugh's family invades his room! I think we took him for dinner but I can't remember where. Maybe Scores Pizza. Hugh had a history project he was working on and needed to go find a statute of Sir John A MacDonald. His directions were just "south east corner of City Park". First we had to convince Rob which park was city park. Then which was the south east corner (also, Hugh had "north west corner of King and West St"). We parked (gawd. Parking in Kingston sucks everywhere) and walked towards the statues
We're not really sure you're allowed to do this LOL.
Long slow drive into the sunset
I discovered the filters available on my phone's camera
Tail lights. I'm not sad when he leaves but I do miss him. I want to get to experience this new young man, cause he is really changing and developing into a person. His teen years....he was just kind of a lump. LOL. Sorry Hugh :)
Hugh was so laid back about the whole going to university process. Maybe it was anxiety, maybe it's just him. We had to nudge him every.step.of.the.way. We were hoping that once he was there, he'd start taking initiative and figure these things out on his own. It was slow going, but he's doing it.
He got involved in Frosh Week (I think it's supposed to be called Orientation Week)
He had shown great skill at archery at Culver Family Camp, but we'd never gotten another try. I just searched my blog and I never wrote about our camp experience? I just posted on Facebook? I got behind with posting about the family cruise and never did family camp? What?! Here's some photos, from 2014.
Rob and Lucy drove in to meet him. Rob wanted to leave very early and I was like...you don't need that much time. Lucy texts me to tell me he hadn't looked at the directions and missed the exit. Then there was no parking...and they had to figure out where the bus might come (it just says "bus terminal"). Meanwhile Hugh was texting me to tell me they were behind schedule. Eventually I get word that they're about to pull in the driveway and I set up my camera and get the dog to the front door.
And lets just say, Skippy didn't seem all that impressed his boy was back home. I recorded their reuniting, but really, it's so unimpressive that it's kind of impressive.
And before we knew it, it was time to take Hugh back. Traffic was surprisingly slow, there and back.
Tail lights. I'm not sad when he leaves but I do miss him. I want to get to experience this new young man, cause he is really changing and developing into a person. His teen years....he was just kind of a lump. LOL. Sorry Hugh :)
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Ready to Quit
I was exhausted after the day before, but since this was a 4 day week, I knew I needed to take whatever came up. It was a gr 3 afternoon in a school not too far from me, an "older" neighbourhood (30ish years?). Sounded good, right?
I got there, saw the plans, and the teacher came in to go over them and let me know about Andy. He was mentioned in the plans as having ASD and sometimes troubles with supply teachers. He was allowed to go to the office for breaks. The teacher said he's been doing really good lately and probably wouldn't need breaks. Oh, and he's been recently diagnosed with ODD.
Oh boy. I knew I had to start off nice (I always do LOL) and win him over. But before I even found out who he was, he was agitated. I also had several other kids to help or keep an eye on. Andy would not do silent reading and went to the office for a break.
I don't remember the order of the afternoon. There was a read aloud, following a video on YouTube. The kids had a hard time being quiet and there were some technical issues and they just weren't all that engaged. I wish I had the actual book and could have just read it. I did have a great kid helping with the projector/computer but he was still only in grade 3.
Then there was science. Since I had the computer hooked up and logged in, I took time during recess to find a video for the lesson. It was nice to actual "teach" something, though it seemed to be review. The kids needed to work on a package of handouts.
At some point, Andy found a basket of markers. He was putting a marker lid in his mouth, and then shooting it at classmates. Ick. I finally got that away from him. He did go to the office for another break at some point.
Then he found a basket of elastic bands. He was zinging them at classmates. The other kids were becoming agitated.
They needed to do group work to practice a drama presentation. Andy would not join his group. He was going around harassing kids...I think he was trying to flick a playing card at their face. I started with one group in the hall but after a few minutes I had kids running around the classroom and more groups in the hall than in the class--because they were trying to escape from Andy. I finally called the office and asked for someone to come get him. Someone came, and what a scene it must have looked like. They didn't seem pleased and didn't even talk to me. I don't know who it was.
Once Andy was gone, the class was great! And then they had gym and I had prep last period. I just wanted to put my head down and cry. This post no where near shows how chaotic the class felt. Kids who needed scribing, kids needed general help to stay on task, etc...all got basically ignored because I had to keep Andy from hurting others. My note was fairly long for a half day job.
The kids came back to get ready to go. I put my nice face back on and chatted with them, someone drew me a picture, they said they liked me. Andy needed some reminders to get ready but he was okay now. He was flicking the playing card and that was freaking some kids out, so I held it until they were gone, then I had him show me how to do it, cause he was really good. I wanted to show him that I wasn't all mean.
I got out to my truck, and was hemmed in by the bus loading. I could have ignored the one way sign and zipped out the entrance that was pretty close to me, but I figured I already had one black X next to my name, I didn't want another. I wasn't going to totally give up on the school, especially since it was fairly close to me.
Recently, a small LTO was listed for this school. I really toyed with the idea of applying, but with everything going on with my dad's health, I didn't really feel I should commit to anything.
I got there, saw the plans, and the teacher came in to go over them and let me know about Andy. He was mentioned in the plans as having ASD and sometimes troubles with supply teachers. He was allowed to go to the office for breaks. The teacher said he's been doing really good lately and probably wouldn't need breaks. Oh, and he's been recently diagnosed with ODD.
Oh boy. I knew I had to start off nice (I always do LOL) and win him over. But before I even found out who he was, he was agitated. I also had several other kids to help or keep an eye on. Andy would not do silent reading and went to the office for a break.
I don't remember the order of the afternoon. There was a read aloud, following a video on YouTube. The kids had a hard time being quiet and there were some technical issues and they just weren't all that engaged. I wish I had the actual book and could have just read it. I did have a great kid helping with the projector/computer but he was still only in grade 3.
Then there was science. Since I had the computer hooked up and logged in, I took time during recess to find a video for the lesson. It was nice to actual "teach" something, though it seemed to be review. The kids needed to work on a package of handouts.
At some point, Andy found a basket of markers. He was putting a marker lid in his mouth, and then shooting it at classmates. Ick. I finally got that away from him. He did go to the office for another break at some point.
Then he found a basket of elastic bands. He was zinging them at classmates. The other kids were becoming agitated.
They needed to do group work to practice a drama presentation. Andy would not join his group. He was going around harassing kids...I think he was trying to flick a playing card at their face. I started with one group in the hall but after a few minutes I had kids running around the classroom and more groups in the hall than in the class--because they were trying to escape from Andy. I finally called the office and asked for someone to come get him. Someone came, and what a scene it must have looked like. They didn't seem pleased and didn't even talk to me. I don't know who it was.
Once Andy was gone, the class was great! And then they had gym and I had prep last period. I just wanted to put my head down and cry. This post no where near shows how chaotic the class felt. Kids who needed scribing, kids needed general help to stay on task, etc...all got basically ignored because I had to keep Andy from hurting others. My note was fairly long for a half day job.
The kids came back to get ready to go. I put my nice face back on and chatted with them, someone drew me a picture, they said they liked me. Andy needed some reminders to get ready but he was okay now. He was flicking the playing card and that was freaking some kids out, so I held it until they were gone, then I had him show me how to do it, cause he was really good. I wanted to show him that I wasn't all mean.
I got out to my truck, and was hemmed in by the bus loading. I could have ignored the one way sign and zipped out the entrance that was pretty close to me, but I figured I already had one black X next to my name, I didn't want another. I wasn't going to totally give up on the school, especially since it was fairly close to me.
Recently, a small LTO was listed for this school. I really toyed with the idea of applying, but with everything going on with my dad's health, I didn't really feel I should commit to anything.
What Did I Do?
The crazy continued. I was beginning to feel that the good days I had were the abnormal ones.
I got a call for an afternoon kindie job. I get there, the kids are eating lunch. It's a very non-white class. This IS important, especially for kindie, because it can mean that a lot of the students are English Language Learners, or that there's a lot of immigration and the issues that brings for the young children.
The teacher was there and asked if I could come in for three days in December cause her regular supply was busy. I said "Sure" but it'd depend on dates because I was planning to be away until the 11th. She needed 12-14. I left my info.
This teacher was so well planned. She even had pictures of each kid and a list of who they could leave with at dismissal. Though just saying "Mom, Dad or Grandpa" is not all that helpful, having kids pictures with their name really helps. Especially when most names were not the typical white names I'm more used too. Many of these names I had never seen before.
There was a supply ECE and she showed up shortly. She'd never been here either. Oh boy.
Attendance. Fun! Trying to pronounce the names. One name I had seen before but this child pronounced it differently. Finally got it done. Tried to read a book out loud and the kids just could not keep themselves together and quiet. Then it was centers time. Centers are my favourite thing about kindies. It was going better.
Then it was recess. Okay, I like recess too. There were many low functioning kids in this class though. Like, stare at the sky. Do they understand English? Were they even speaking English? Surely by the middle of November they'd know the routine to go outside.
Just before going outside, we found out there was an extended recess and the kids could go out on the field with the big kids, for a reward for fundraising. Ummmm. How am I going to round up 30 kids I don't know? There were other kindie classes, but some of them had supplies too. And this was messing up our break times. And there was an ASD student returning to the classroom and the ECE was needed for him, for a diaper change. And then a girl got hurt. One had a meltdown. And then...
I couldn't figure out what the kid needed at first. Was it in English? Finally he said "poop". Okay, gotcha. I sent him in to the bathroom. I went to check on him in a few minutes and he said "Big poop". He was on the toilet so I said to finish up. He said "Big poop". Okay, finish your big poop. Then I saw it.
A big poop. In his pants on the floor. Yup.
Teachers are not supposed to deal with bathroom incidents or bodily fluids. ECEs are, because they have the training. But what was I supposed to do? I didn't even know where the ECE was. I picked up the pants, dropped the turd in the toilet, found a bag, found his backpack (I couldn't even figure out his name!) and got him changed.
We got the kids rounded up from their extended recess. Now, they needed snack. It should have been centers again, but snack is important! Messy, messy kids. We couldn't quite figure out some of the details of the end routine, but the ECE got a video on and we started getting the kids ready again. Though it was a little too early. Crazy times. Then we took them outside for dismissal. The ECE took the bus kids somewhere, with the help of someone else. I tried to look like I knew what I was doing. The kids all disappeared, so I guess it worked.
While I was writing up the note, the custodian came in. I let him know about the huge puddle under the fountain (a kid tried to fill his water bottle and created a waterfall). He nicely commiserated with me, about the supply life--he did it as a custodian too.
I made it home, exhausted after a half day. I wondered how the heck I would do three full days after arriving home from an almost 2 week road trip to Florida. Yikes.
I got a call for an afternoon kindie job. I get there, the kids are eating lunch. It's a very non-white class. This IS important, especially for kindie, because it can mean that a lot of the students are English Language Learners, or that there's a lot of immigration and the issues that brings for the young children.
The teacher was there and asked if I could come in for three days in December cause her regular supply was busy. I said "Sure" but it'd depend on dates because I was planning to be away until the 11th. She needed 12-14. I left my info.
This teacher was so well planned. She even had pictures of each kid and a list of who they could leave with at dismissal. Though just saying "Mom, Dad or Grandpa" is not all that helpful, having kids pictures with their name really helps. Especially when most names were not the typical white names I'm more used too. Many of these names I had never seen before.
There was a supply ECE and she showed up shortly. She'd never been here either. Oh boy.
Attendance. Fun! Trying to pronounce the names. One name I had seen before but this child pronounced it differently. Finally got it done. Tried to read a book out loud and the kids just could not keep themselves together and quiet. Then it was centers time. Centers are my favourite thing about kindies. It was going better.
Then it was recess. Okay, I like recess too. There were many low functioning kids in this class though. Like, stare at the sky. Do they understand English? Were they even speaking English? Surely by the middle of November they'd know the routine to go outside.
Just before going outside, we found out there was an extended recess and the kids could go out on the field with the big kids, for a reward for fundraising. Ummmm. How am I going to round up 30 kids I don't know? There were other kindie classes, but some of them had supplies too. And this was messing up our break times. And there was an ASD student returning to the classroom and the ECE was needed for him, for a diaper change. And then a girl got hurt. One had a meltdown. And then...
I couldn't figure out what the kid needed at first. Was it in English? Finally he said "poop". Okay, gotcha. I sent him in to the bathroom. I went to check on him in a few minutes and he said "Big poop". He was on the toilet so I said to finish up. He said "Big poop". Okay, finish your big poop. Then I saw it.
A big poop. In his pants on the floor. Yup.
We got the kids rounded up from their extended recess. Now, they needed snack. It should have been centers again, but snack is important! Messy, messy kids. We couldn't quite figure out some of the details of the end routine, but the ECE got a video on and we started getting the kids ready again. Though it was a little too early. Crazy times. Then we took them outside for dismissal. The ECE took the bus kids somewhere, with the help of someone else. I tried to look like I knew what I was doing. The kids all disappeared, so I guess it worked.
While I was writing up the note, the custodian came in. I let him know about the huge puddle under the fountain (a kid tried to fill his water bottle and created a waterfall). He nicely commiserated with me, about the supply life--he did it as a custodian too.
I made it home, exhausted after a half day. I wondered how the heck I would do three full days after arriving home from an almost 2 week road trip to Florida. Yikes.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Hugh Grows Up!
I haven't said a whole lot about the kids (my kids) on this blog in awhile. I keep everyone up to date on FB. I think it's time for a little update!
Hugh. Sigh. He grew up. And up. And up. LOL. Last year he was in grade 12 and going through the whole university application procedure. He was so...unengaged. We had to push him to meet deadlines and get involved. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He liked film editing, computer programming, math, science, history...When we went on the Queen's tour in the summer before grade 12, the clerk mentioned the "COCA" program. We read about it in the booklet but it didn't really click (just went to see the post on our tour. It's not on this blog. It's on my knitting/sewing blog LOL). This program is "Computers and the Creative Arts". You study computers and one area of creative arts, such as film, music, theater. We really didn't know much more than that.
He ended up applying for Computer Programming at Carleton, Queen's and Trent and COCA (which is actually a B.A program) at Queen's. He got early acceptance to Carleton and Trent. We went to tour Trent. It was okay. It felt very small though. Hugh didn't have anything to say. The campus seems to have a split personality. Some of the buildings are disntinctly '70s...brown bricks, small windows. The old residences were called "castle like" but felt more dungeon like. You enter a hall way that is sort of outside and it was so damp feeling. The layout was confusing but it meant some of the rooms were unique. Then there were the newer buildings that were bright and airy and colourful.
Then in March Break we went to the big open house day at Queen's. Hugh wasn't feeling well and again, he wasn't all that engaged. We had more fun than he did. It started off at Grant Hall. We pretty much had to push him behind the student card cutout. Dad, of course, hopped in there right away.
We attended a talk about the residences and fees. Lots more options than when we were there.
The meal plan has changed too, and looks really good. The "Trade a Meal" is a great thing, especially now that there are a lot more food options on campus. We then went on a tour and got to see several residences. The oldest one had been (or still was?) all boys and you could smell it LOL. The newest residences are Single Plus--two single rooms joined by a shared bathroom. Some of these buildings even had air conditioning! The rooms seemed small though.
We had some time, so we paid for the breakfast brunch at the "old" cafeteria, Leonard Hall. Well. It's nothing like it was in the '90s. It felt more like the Windjammer Buffet on Royal Caribbean! It used to be one line, stereotypical cafeteria service, opening up to a massive room of long tables. Now, there are lots of different "stations" and options and the seating area has nooks, small tables, booths, the works. Although it used to be scary standing at the opening of the massive room scanning the room for a familiar face, this cafe has the issue that if you are intentionally looking for someone, you have to walk all around.
Then we walked down King St to the new Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Despite the School of Music not having its own theater and lacking a larger practice, this new centre is not also home to the School of Music. The Film School got to move in. It's not a terrible walk, 13-15 minutes, but if you're lugging a trombone, cello, double bass...Anyway. It's a beautiful place. School of Music auditions were going on, and I saw several professors that had been there when I was!! We didn't get to see the actual theater though due to auditions.
It was hot but cloudy.
Megan didn't get up early enough to do her eyebrows LOL
There was a construction sign ahead but traffic suddenly came to an almost stop! Google said the 401 was closed up ahead!!
OMG. It was so slow. Two lanes of highway traffic have to get off and go on rural streets.
The felt small compared to the double I had. The bed is an extra long twin. So hard to find sheets.
Lots of activities!
The bed sort of fits two
Due to lack of plugs, we moved the desk over. The room was so hot.
Hugh's room is the one on the bottom right with the stuff in the window. The window only opens about 6".
We took Hugh out to get a fan. They were completely sold out at Canadian Tire and we had to get a little desktop fan. It barely did anything. We also stocked up the fridge and took him to the bank. Made him go in to the ATM by himself. In a bank he's never been to. Oh my. Adulthood!
I know plenty of moms cry terribly when dropping their kids off at university. I was so excited for Hugh to experience it. He's an interesting kid and I was feeling that I hadn't had enough time to get to know this 18 year old who was so different than when he was 8. He's interesting! But he's also fearful, hesitant, and sheltered. Would he sink or fly here? He seemed scared. We talked a lot about the need to do well, and the need to be responsible for yourself--your planning, your routines, your experience. We encouraged him to get out there and get engaged. He wasn't all that engaged with high school. Not in any clubs or teams. It wasn't until his friends started getting their licenses that he started hanging out with friends. We were so fearful he'd shut the door of his single room and be "the hermit".
It doesn't appear to have happened!!
Hugh. Sigh. He grew up. And up. And up. LOL. Last year he was in grade 12 and going through the whole university application procedure. He was so...unengaged. We had to push him to meet deadlines and get involved. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He liked film editing, computer programming, math, science, history...When we went on the Queen's tour in the summer before grade 12, the clerk mentioned the "COCA" program. We read about it in the booklet but it didn't really click (just went to see the post on our tour. It's not on this blog. It's on my knitting/sewing blog LOL). This program is "Computers and the Creative Arts". You study computers and one area of creative arts, such as film, music, theater. We really didn't know much more than that.
He ended up applying for Computer Programming at Carleton, Queen's and Trent and COCA (which is actually a B.A program) at Queen's. He got early acceptance to Carleton and Trent. We went to tour Trent. It was okay. It felt very small though. Hugh didn't have anything to say. The campus seems to have a split personality. Some of the buildings are disntinctly '70s...brown bricks, small windows. The old residences were called "castle like" but felt more dungeon like. You enter a hall way that is sort of outside and it was so damp feeling. The layout was confusing but it meant some of the rooms were unique. Then there were the newer buildings that were bright and airy and colourful.
Then in March Break we went to the big open house day at Queen's. Hugh wasn't feeling well and again, he wasn't all that engaged. We had more fun than he did. It started off at Grant Hall. We pretty much had to push him behind the student card cutout. Dad, of course, hopped in there right away.
We attended a talk about the residences and fees. Lots more options than when we were there.
We had some time, so we paid for the breakfast brunch at the "old" cafeteria, Leonard Hall. Well. It's nothing like it was in the '90s. It felt more like the Windjammer Buffet on Royal Caribbean! It used to be one line, stereotypical cafeteria service, opening up to a massive room of long tables. Now, there are lots of different "stations" and options and the seating area has nooks, small tables, booths, the works. Although it used to be scary standing at the opening of the massive room scanning the room for a familiar face, this cafe has the issue that if you are intentionally looking for someone, you have to walk all around.
Then we walked down King St to the new Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Despite the School of Music not having its own theater and lacking a larger practice, this new centre is not also home to the School of Music. The Film School got to move in. It's not a terrible walk, 13-15 minutes, but if you're lugging a trombone, cello, double bass...Anyway. It's a beautiful place. School of Music auditions were going on, and I saw several professors that had been there when I was!! We didn't get to see the actual theater though due to auditions.
We toured much of the Film School facilities. Hugh still didn't seem excited. What would it take? His foot was bothering him, he had a cold...but still. We did find out that COCA is geared to "using computers as a consumer in the arts fields" and computer programming was to "design those programs others use". That cleared it up quite a bit. Much of the classes are the same in the first two years and as long as he took a particular math, he could move over to the computer programming program later. Apparently you don't even need any high school computer programming courses to apply for a Bachelor of Computer Science.
We never got around to visiting Carlton, but went out to The Mandarin to celebrate his acceptance LOL.
Yes, he ate cotton candy with chopsticks. He has a fascination with chop sticks.
Finally, word came from Queen's. He didn't get into the B.Comp. Science. program, but got into B.A. in the COCA program (which really starts the second year).
He put in the deposit for the residence lottery. What would he get? He couldn't decide if he wanted double or single but of course, Dad insisted he wanted to be on main campus. I tried to remain open minded. It was out of our control, regardless. Finally it came. He got a single room on West Campus. Dad was furious. Several other kids from our immediate neighbourhood (as well as at least one girl from last year) also got West Campus. What's up with that? I know many people really like the secluded, small village feel of West Campus. We hadn't even toured out there though.
We went as a family to settle him in. We were supposed to be there during a certain time window. Of course, we got the first window, 8am-10am. Rob wanted to be there right at 8am. Not sure why.
We got off and followed most people. It was slow going because at one point we had to make a left turn onto a busier road. It felt like forever.
It was a little chaotic, but at least less so than at Main Campus. First thing was to send Hugh in to get his key. By himself. Oh boy. Instant Adulthood. We were sent off to park and the guide said they'd direct Hugh where to go. LOL. He didn't listen though and came out to find us and we were gone LOL. He found us (kids trying to text where they are using landmarks they've never seen LOL). We started settling him in.
On the way home we saw a trailer with a boat and trailer in it. LOL.
It doesn't appear to have happened!!
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